Find park homes in the Peak District

• Tuesday, 27 January 2009
• Kathleen Retourne
• 1 Comments

Find park homes, mobile homes and static caravans for sale in the Peak District

We want...
‘We would like a park home with a clearly defined garden, where we can grow some vegetables and put up some trellis for trailing a few plants. It needs to have two bedrooms; one of which could perhaps double as a study. A master bedroom with en suite, and also an airing cupboard, would be nice.’

We can afford...
‘Selling our two bedroom, semi-detached bungalow should, hopefully, release around £230,000. After paying off the mortgage, as well as putting some money in the bank for retirement, we hope to have up to £170,000 to spend on a park home.’

Location 1

Alvaston Park
There were originally two small parks here, but the old New City Park is now incorporated within Alvaston Park.

Spread across 14-plus acres of level ground are plots for a total of 188 homes. In fact, you will find only 174 park homes here, including 77 available to rent (all occupied).

One of the first things that strikes you on arriving is the trees, mainly around the perimeter but with a sprinkling among the homes as well.  

There is a network of cul-de-sacs at Alvaston. That, along with the mainly open-plan gardens, significantly reduces the sense of regimentation you get on some parks.

Unusually, there are two entrances, from where well-maintained Tarmac roads give access to the various plots.

The land adjacent is given over to parkland on two sides, some commercial units on a third, then housing on the fourth.

A section of Alvaston nearest the parkland has been redeveloped over the past eight years.

Although there is a large proportion of single units in the park as a whole, this new development consists exclusively of 30 twins. Each with its own garage alongside.

Contact details
Alvaston Park, Meadow Lane, Alvaston,
Derby DE24 8RE
Park manager: Peter Souto
Tel: 01332 572204

What did Bob and Denise think?
Our concerns...
‘The BT facility next door is a bit of an eyesore on that side of the park.’

‘We are not sure about the open-plan gardens.’

‘We would have liked a bit more privacy.’

But we love...
‘The park is nicely laid out and not too regimented or crowded.’

‘The manager at the park gave the impression of being very flexible and willing to accommodate our needs.’

‘Having a garage, especially right next door, as well as a parking bay would be welcome. We could use the garage for storage if we get rid of our car.’

Location 2

Merebrook Park
This new development is situated within a Unesco World Heritage Site, very close to the Peak District National Park.
 
Merebrook is located alongside the Derwent, just below the A6. Owned by the Daley family since 1972, it was formerly a caravan park. When it is eventually completed, there will be 55 residential lodges, all twins.

All of the infrastructure has been completed for the first phase of 38 homes. So far half have been sited, with the first residents having moved in during 2006. Access is via electrically-operated gates.

The park slopes gently down to the river, with some of the homes higher up sited on terraces. Those closest to the river are fitted with automatic flotation devices to protect against the, albeit unlikely, possibility of flooding.

A novel feature of this park is the system for setting the plot fee. Residents are charged one per cent annually of their home’s purchase price. In addition, purchasers can obtain a 20 per cent discount by paying five years’ plot fees in advance.

Also unusual, the level of sales commission is just 7.5 per cent, instead of the more usual 10 per cent.

Contact details
Merebrook, Derby Road, Whatstandwell,
Derbyshire DE4 5HH
Park manager/owner: Adrian Daley
Tel: 01773 850114

What did Bob & Denise think?
Our concerns...
‘There was no way we could grow our own vegetables.’

‘How much noise would there be from the trains?’

‘The landscaping left us no scope for personalising our garden.’

But we love...
‘The setting, in the Derwent valley, was beautiful.’

‘What a wonderful outlook from the homes at the park.’

‘Buses stop near the park entrance, which is useful as the shops are a few miles away.’

‘The railway station is conveniently close, so no problems to travel if we don’t have a car one day.’

And now for our favourite Alvaston Park
‘The setting for Merebrook was lovely and the views beautiful. But Alvaston wins our vote because we want to be able to lay out our garden as we want it, complete with a vegetable patch.’

Our favourite bits
       * The park as a whole, and the plots in particular, offer just what we want
       * A regular and frequent bus service, within easy reach of the park, is a boon
       * Derby and the Peaks National Park are within easy reach, so it’s  a great location

To read the full story order a copy of the January 2009 issue which you can buy online or by calling 01733 385170.